I keep hearing you guys refer to your AF's as either chronic or not chronic, is there a time frame that determines which it is? Does it make a difference in how it heals? If its chronic will it require surgery as opposed to being acute and possibly healing itself?

Acute normally refers to an AF that is less than 6 weeks old, chronic is one that has been around for more than 6 weeks.
If it becomes chronic it normally means that it wont heal by itself and so needs a certain course of medication, i.e. GTN as a first defence, if this should not work then its Botox injections, if Botox fails then its LIS surgery.

Yep, that's right . . . but I don't think I want Botox . . . not sure about that one.
I keep hoping mine will heal on its own - but I've started to think that it won't, not after 3 months and counting.

I have been on GTN for six weeks now and had my follow up CRS visit yesterday to be told that i am nearly healed so dont lose hope!!

Davo- do u still have any pain at all? I'm on Diltiazem which I started almost 2 weeks ago now- I had like 2.5 days of literally almost no pain at all, like I could hardly tell I even had it, and then yesterday started with pain again. Nothing changed tho...no painful or difficult bm's...just a mild soreness has returned and that pressure again. I actually thought I was starting to heal but now I'm not so sure :/

Catniss,
I still have discomfort which is more an annoyance rather than a pain. It is a rocky road though and i have had ups and downs over the course of the six weeks - Don't feel down hearted about the more painful days though as this is just part of the healing process. I posted a thread a short while back as i asked my CRS the same question - I have posted this below along with his response:
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SOMETIMES THE FISSURE PAIN SEEMS TO IMPROVE THEN OCCASSIONALLY I WILL HAVE A BAD DAY EVEN THOUGH MY FOOD DIET DOES NOT REALLY CHANGE – WHY WOULD THIS BE?
CRS: The variability of a fissure is extremely common, the explanation for that is really uncertain. Some people beat themselves up trying to blame a piece of food they ate the day before but on most occasions that’s not the case providing you have maintained a high fibre/water intake. The healing progress of a fissure should be measured over a week (and never daily) therefore if you have two bad days with a bit more blood and soreness than usual you should not be concerned as two bad days out of seven would indicate that you are overall improving.

Davo, I hope that's right - and I hope I'm (and we are all) on the mend, but . . . I had a throbbing, burning day yesterday - seemingly for no reason.
I'm seeing my crs this Thursday, and I sure hope he says I'm healing. Otherwise . . . well, I don't know.
catniss -- Last night I was so upset and uncomfortable, that I had to take Xanax to go to sleep.

I had a day from hell yesterday, Sweet, and again not sure why. Today is slightly better, and I tend to wonder 'oh, is it because I left such and such out of my food' that did it. I used a hot water bottle on my stomach and on my coccyx last night, as had pain in both places. Today, did not spend so much time on the Sitz bath, as do not seem to have the best response to that - that is, get more spasms when I use it. But, who knows! This is a real unmagical mystery tour...

LOL, savaici - that's so true! and BTW, I'm not sure the sitz bath helps me, either.
So, so sorry you had a horrible day yesterday. I was fairly miserable, too. I usually have a morning BM - and until that happens, I have no idea how I'm going to be feeling for the day. NOT fun.
My appt. with the crs is day after tomorrow (Thurs.). I'm hoping for the best, of course - and I know my anxiety will be high.

sitting on a heating pad really helps get rid of pain for me and i think that has to be good for the spams.